Multiple electric plug tap with means to secure additional taps thereto



Nov. 10, 1953 D. B. COHANE 2,659,060

MULTIPLE ELECTRIC PLUG TAP WITH MEANS TO SECURE ADDITIONAL TAPS THERETOFiled Jan. 31 1951 IN VEN T OR.

ATTmRNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1953 MULTIPLE ELECTRIC PIjUG TAP WITH MEANSTosneunn THERETO" l-birionenmijasg This invention relates toplugs-for-electric cords and the like and in" particular a plughavingupon a walloutlet or the like-and in which.the

plug isalsoprovided withthreaded rimsposi tioned around' prong receivingsockets the connecting similarplugs-thereto.

The; purpose of. this. invention is to provide a three way or multipleoutlet plug for connecting a plurality of electric, cords to a commonoutlet whereby cords extended from the plug and also the plug are.positivel'ye secured. in: position so that accidental separation of: theplugs or oflthe; multipleiplug from the wall socket is prevented.

In.;t;he conventionaltype of threeway ormulti pie;- plug where contactprongs. extend fromone; sideand prong receiving openingseare providedimotherzparts thereof, the weight ofrafi cord extended from the plug has atendency to withdraw the multiple plug from a wall socket and where onlyprongs are used for connecting cords to the multiple plug the plugs ofthe cord are accidentally withdrawn or partly withdrawn whereby shortcircuits are caused and damage often results therefrom. With thisthought in mind this invention contemplates a plug which combines theconventional contact prongs with a threaded locking cap whereby the plugis positively secured in a wa11 receptacle and also a plug that includesthe conventional contact prong receiving slots or openings with threadedrims around the openings whereby plugs of a similar type may bepositively secured thereon.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a multiple plugwhich is designed to receive plugs of electric cords in which the plugsof the cords are of the combination type which combine the conventionalprongs with threaded locking elements for positively securing the plugsin contacting relation with the multiple plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple plug that isdesigned to receive combination contact prongs and screw lockingelements of electric cord plugs which is also adapted to receiveconventional plugs of electric cords.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved multipleplug for providing means for attaching a plurality of electric cords toa common wall outlet and wherein both contact prongs and screw lockingelements are used for connecting electric cord plugs thereto, which isof a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view theinventionembodies a plughaving a body formedi in two sections with; amounting disc: having an annular flange thereonpositioned on one of thesections; spaced contact-prongs ex tended from the sections of the bodyand-through the mounting disc: and an internally threadedcollarrotatably mounted on said mounting disc;

the said sectionsof th-e body having a. plurality -of sockets: includingprong receiving 'slots and; threaded r-imsgaround the slotspositioned'on the outensurfaces thereofi (other: features and advantagesi of the;invene tion. will appean from the" following-= description taken: in:connectiort withthe drawing wherein-r Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionthrough'the improvedi'multipl'e plug beingrtaken: on: line- I-'-'I of:Eigr 2:.

Eigure; is; az section, through: the. plug; takenz 1; 11 r-Z' 31%;.

Figure-3 is; a side;- elevationalg view,- of the; plug; looking towardone of the outlet sockets thereof and showing the plug on a reducedscale.

Figure 4 is a similar view looking toward one side of the plug andillustrating the relative positions of the outlet sockets thereof.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved multiple or three way plug of thisinvention includes a plug body formed with sections it] and II, amounting disc I2 which is secured to the section II by a bolt I3 and acollar I4 that is freely rotatable on the mounting disc I2.

The section III of the body is provided with elongated slots I5 and I8and complementary sections I! and I8 of the slots are provided in thesection II, as shown in Fig. 3. Connecting slots I9 and 26 extendthrough the section II of the body with the inner ends thereofcommunicating with the lower sections I! and I8 of the slots. Thesection I0 of the body is also provided with slots 2| and 22 throughwhich prongs 23 and 2d extend respectively and, as shown in Fig. 1, theinner ends of the prongs are provided with spring arms 25 and 26 thatare positioned to contact prongs inserted in the slots I9 and. 28,respectively.

The inner sections 2'? and 23 of the prongs 23 and 25 extend outwardlyinto recesses 29 and 3G in the side walls of the slots of the sec tionsof the plug body, and as illustrated in Fig.

2 the section 27 of the prong 23 is connected to a transversely disposedclip 3i by a rivet 32 and the ends of the clip are provided with springcontact sections 33 and 34 which extend into slot 15. The section 28 ofthe prong 24 is provided with a similar clip which is indicated by thenumeral 35 and the clip 35 is provided with spring contact sections 36and 31 and these sections extend into the slot H3. The clip 35 issecured to the section 28 of the prong by a rivet 38.

The contact ends 33, 34, 36 and 37 also extend into the complementarysections of the slots I5 and I6 and the ends of the slots extend intocounterbores 39 and 40 in opposite sides of the plug body wherebysimilar contact prongs or prongs of conventional electric plugs may bein'- serted in the slots to contact the spring contact sections of theclips.

The counterbores 39 and 40 which extend into both sections 10 and H ofthe plug body are surrounded with threaded rims 4| and s2 upon whichcollars similar to the collar 14 of similar plugs may be threaded.

The slots I9 and also extend into a similar counterbore 43 in the sideof the plug opposite to that from which the prongs 23 and 24 extend andthe counterbore 43 is provided with a threaded rim 44.

The mounting disc i2 is provided with an annular flange 55 and a similarinwardly extended annular flange 45 on the collar Hi extends over thefiange 45 whereby the collar is freely rotatable on the mounting disc.With the prongs 23 and 24 inserted in prong receiving slots or openingsin the plug or wall receptacle the collar I may be threaded on a rim 4'!positioned on the outer surface of a wall plate 48 of a receptacle oroutlet box.

With the parts arranged in this manner the improved multiple outlet plugof this invention is inserted in an outlet box or wall receptacle byplacing the prongs 23 and 24 in the conventional slots or openings ofthe receptacle and with the prongs in position the collar I4 is threadedon a rim or other extension on the base or wall plate of the receptacle,as illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of theinvention,

What is claimed is:

A plug having multiple faces for electric fixture cords formed of twosimilarly shaped sections, a mounting disc having an enlarged annularfiange in engagement with one face of said plug, an externally threadedrim surrounding the outer faces of the said plug, a bolt extendingthrough said sections and mounting disc to retain the same in fixedrelation to each other, a collar having an externally threaded portionand an internal flange, the collar being mounted on the mounting disc sothat the flange of the collar will engage the flange of the disc wherebythe collar is rotationally mounted on said mounting disc, prongsextending outwardly of the plug within the collar mounted on said disc,prong receiving sockets in the other faces of said plug, electriccontacts in said plug and positioned to engage prongs inserted insaid-sockets and the said collar adapted to be mounted on the threadedexternal rim of a similarly formed plug to retain the two plugs in fixedrelation to each other.

DAVID B. 00m ns,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 839,224 Stokes Dec. 25, 1906 1,400,803 Conlan Dec. 20, 19211,941,488 Propp Jan. 2, 1934 1,944,719 Regenauer Jan. 23, 1934 2,199,560Faller May 7, 1940

